Pain in the arch or heel of your foot, most often experienced the second you step out of bed, is a classic symptom of plantar fasciitis. It results when the thick tissue that connects your heel to the base of your toes—the plantar fascia—becomes overworked and inflamed. Reducing the inflammation and then stretching and strengthening muscles in your calf, ankle and foot can help ease the pain.

To treat inflammation, roll your foot over a small, 20-ounce frozen water bottle for 10-15 minutes. The ice reduces the inflammation, and the rolling stretches your plantar fascia. Keep increasing the downward pressure on the bottle for the best effect.

The first day you feel pain, ice for 15 minutes every hour. After that, ice 3 to 5 times a day. You can also take an anti-inflammatory, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium.

You can start gentle stretching as soon as your pain allows it. These exercises not only stretch the plantar fascia but also your calf muscles. A tight calf muscle can lead you to compensate with other muscles, which overworks the plantar fascia even more.

Stretching in Bed

To reduce that sharp pain from your first step, you can do a few stretches while lying in bed.

Before you get up, do this exercise to help stretch your plantar fascia.

Sit up.
Keep your legs stretched out in front of you.
Loop a rolled up towel or pillowcase around the ball of your foot.
Keep your leg flat and pull your toes toward you to feel a stretch in the plantar fascia and your Achilles tendon.
Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 to 5 times.
Stretch the other leg.

Plantar Fascia Stretch

You can do this whenever you have pain from plantar fasciitis:

Sit down on a sturdy chair.
Cross your ankle over the opposite knee.
Hold the back of your heel with the hand that is closest to it.
Use your other hand to grasp the ball of your foot and your big toe and pull up and back against your toes. This may stretch your ankle, too.
Hold for 10 seconds.
Relax for 10 seconds.
Repeat 3 to 5 times and then switch sides.

Step Stretching

This exercise stretches your calf muscles and Achilles tendon even more. Don’t overdo it on this one.

Stand on a step.
Be near a wall or handrail, so you can balance yourself with your hands.
Keep the ball of your foot on the step, but let your heels hang off the back.
Slowly lower your heels down below the level of the step until you feel a gentle stretch across your calves and the tendon along the back of your ankle.

A Prime Time for Strengthening

You can do strengthening exercises like these while you watch TV:

Lay a towel on the floor and place your heels off the edge of towel and your toes on the towel. Pull the towel toward you using only your toes, making “fists” with your toes.
Pick up a pencil with your toes, drop the pencil, then pick it up again. Repeat 3-5 times.
When you go to the kitchen for a snack, walk on your tiptoes to strengthen muscles in your calves and feet.

Calf Stretch—Gastrocnemius muscle

To keep your calves flexible, do this stretch 3 to 5 times a day.

Stand at arm’s length in front of a wall.
Place one leg directly behind the other one. (Imagine you are standing on a balance beam.)
Put both your palms on the wall and lean in.
Keep one leg straight and the heel of that leg against the floor.
Bend the knee of your front (opposite) leg until you feel a stretch in the calf of your back (straight) leg. If you can’t feel a stretch, scoot your heel back a bit.
Hold for 20-30 seconds.
Relax.
Do the stretch 3 to 5 times.
Switch legs and repeat the stretch routine.

Calf Stretch—Soleus muscle

The soleus muscle is deeper in your calf than the gastrocnemius muscle. You’ll feel this stretch in the lower part of your calf and in your Achilles tendon.

Stand at arm’s length in front of a wall.
Place one leg directly behind the other one. (Imagine you are standing on a balance beam.)
Put both your palms on the wall and lean in.
Bend both knees slightly, keeping your heels against the floor.
When you feel the stretch in your Achilles tendon of your back leg, hold for 20-30 seconds.
Relax.
Do the same stretch 3 to 5 times.
Progress to putting the forefoot of one leg against the wall, slightly in front of the other, and gently pushing your front knee toward the wall.

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